Rough Sleeping

Anyone sleeping rough should be advised to contact the Council's Housing Advice & Information Service to find out what help is available for them.

We will do all we can to help anyone sleeping rough find accommodation and get appropriate support. This includes advice and help to find accommodation in the private rented sector and direct access places.

Direct Access and single person accommodation within Redcar & Cleveland is limited. Although we may not be able to provide accommodation immediately we will give advice, information & support to help find accommodation.

The Council is not under a legal duty to provide emergency accommodation foreveryone who is sleeping rough. Its accommodating responsibilities are limited to homeless people with dependant children or those who are expecting a child; to homeless 16 & 17 year olds and others who are considered on an individual basis to be vulnerable. We will however do our utmost to help all who contact us for help & assistance.

In the event of severe weather conditions (where the temperature has been below 0 degrees Celsius for 3 consecutive days), emergency temporary accommodation can be arranged for anyone sleeping rough until the weather improves. Whilst in the accommodation, support will be provided to help obtain more permanent accommodation.

Report a suspected Rough Sleeper

Any agency or individual who identifies a rough sleeper is encouraged to make a report directly to the local authority in which the rough sleeper has been seen or to the national hot line. Reports made via the national service will be forwarded onto the local authority to respond.

Within Redcar & Cleveland there are currently no dedicated outreach support services for rough sleepers This reflects the low number of rough sleepers within the borough at anyone time, It is proposed that Redcar & Cleveland will work towards the development of services reflecting the five principles of NSNO, responding to the needs of rough sleepers when they are reported to the local authority. This will include verification of reports of rough sleeping, investigation into the circumstances that led to rough sleeping and officers will try and find a solution for each rough sleeper. This work will include referral to other support and specialist services who may be required to break the cycle of rough sleeping.

The five principles of the No Second Night Out (NSNO) approach are:

New rough sleepers should be identified and helped off the streets immediately to prevent them being drawn into a dangerous rough sleeping lifestyle;

Members of the public should be able to help rough sleepers by reporting or referring such people;

Rough sleepers should be able to access a place of safety where their needs can be assessed and they can receive housing options advice;

They should be able to access emergency accommodation and services, such as healthcare; and,

If rough sleepers have come from another area or country, the aim should be to reconnect them back to their local community, where they have ties.